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Ogier takes early WRC Rally Argentina lead over Sordo, Loeb

Nine-time WRC champion Sebastien Loeb is in third place after the superspecial stage of Rally Argentina. The rally continues through Saturday. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Sébastien Ogier continued where he left off on Rally of Portugal by setting the pace on the opening stage of Rally Argentina on Wednesday.

Driving a Volkswagen Polo R WRC, the runaway world championship leader was 1.9 seconds quicker than Dani Sordo in a Citroën DS3 WRC over the 3.75-mile superspecial stage close to the event's base in Villa Carlos Paz west of the city of Cordoba.

Ogier's performance, in front of 60,000 fans, also gave him an early edge over nine-time world champion and former teammate Sébastien Loeb, who is back on World Rally Championship duty this week after skipping the previous two rounds. Ogier was 2.2 seconds faster than Loeb, whose winning streak in Argentina stretches back to 2005.

Despite his strong start in South America, Ogier insists winning isn't his number one objective.

“The most important thing is to score good points, not to score the maximum, but as we're competitors of course we're going to try to get the maximum points,” Ogier said. “I knew Sebastien Loeb would be back here; it will be an interesting race.”

Loeb, meanwhile, is making his third start out of his planned four-round schedule in 2013 as he prepares to retire from the WRC. He was playing down the resumption of his long-standing rivalry with Ogier.

“I compete because we planned that since the start of the season that I will come here,” said Loeb. “For sure I don't like to lose, I prefer to win and if I feel well in the car, I will push and I will try my best. For the rest, I don't have really the pressure to win. It will not change my life if I win or not here, so we will see.”

The real action from Rally Argentina begins the first of two runs over Santa Catalina-La Pampa on Thursday morning.